Topic Contents:

Mouth Problems, Noninjury - Home Treatment

Mouth problems are common and can
be very annoying. But most mouth problems are minor and will clear up with home
treatment and time. Simple home treatment measures, such as increasing your
fluid intake to prevent dehydration and using a humidifier inside your home,
can relieve many mouth problems. Try home treatment when you have one of the
following mouth problems:

Chapped lips. Avoid licking or biting your lips.
Protect your lips with lipstick or a lip balm, such as a water-based product.
If your lips are severely chapped, build a barrier by applying petroleum jelly,
such as Vaseline, for a short time and then switch to a water-based product.
Avoid sun or wind exposure. Using a humidifier in your home may
help.

A dry mouth. Avoid caffeinated beverages, tobacco, and
alcohol, all of which increase dryness in your mouth.

Bad breath, a
bad taste in your mouth, a
black or coated tongue, or "hairy tongue." You
can freshen your breath by brushing your teeth, tongue, roof of your mouth, and
gums. Sometimes just rinsing your mouth with fresh water will freshen your
breath and make your mouth taste better.

Sore or ulcer inside your mouth

Changes in your diet
can also help if you have a sore or ulcer inside your mouth, such as a
canker sore.

Drink cold liquids, such as water or iced tea,
or eat flavored ice pops or frozen juices. Use a straw to keep the liquid from coming
in contact with your mouth sore.

If you have a
painful sore on the outside of your lip, apply ice to
the area when you first feel a sore coming on (tingling or prickly feeling at
the site). This may help reduce the pain and dry out the sore. Apply the ice
directly to the sore—5 minutes on, 10 minutes off—repeating as
desired.

Rinse with an antacid, such as Maalox or Mylanta, or dab
it on your sores with a cotton swab.

Avoid very hot, cold, or sweet
foods and drinks if they increase your pain.

Apply petroleum jelly,
such as Vaseline, to ease the cracking and dryness of a lip
sore.

Use a lip protector, such as Blistex or Campho-Phenique, to
ease the pain. Don't share your lip protector with others, because cold sores
are contagious.

Puncture a vitamin E capsule and squeeze the
oil onto the sore. This soothes inflammation and protects the sore.

Aspirin (also a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug), such as Bayer or Bufferin

Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine.

Safety tips

Be sure to follow these
safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine:

Carefully read and follow all directions
on the medicine bottle and box.

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